


I Will Be Your Sword and Shield, Your Camouflage

by Squibbles94



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: BAMF Peter Parker, BAMF Tony Stark, Dubious Ethics, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Genderbending, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mentioned Skip Westcott, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Natasha Romanov Lives, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Past Rape/Non-con, Penny Parker - Freeform, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Endgame, Skip Westcott Can Go Die, The Non-Con Is Not Graphic, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Lives, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23567971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squibbles94/pseuds/Squibbles94
Summary: "Okay, kid. Tell me what happened," Mr. Stark probed gently as he sat on the coffee table in front of her.Penny avoided his gaze, instead looking at her hands where they were shaking slightly against the glass. How much did she tell him? How much should he know? Penny tried to calm her breathing when she realized that the shallow breaths were not enough to keep her calm."Pen? You can tell me anything. Always,” Mr. Stark said softly. “Let me help you."Penny looked up to see his eyes boring into hers, and she could see that he was utterly sincere. This was Mr. Stark. She could trust him.orAfter looking into a human trafficking ring, Penny Parker finds the body of one of their victims. This brings up one of the worst memories she has and Tony is there to help her handle it.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 62
Kudos: 421





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> So, I've had this in my brain for quite some time. Make no mistake about it, I'm totally projecting in this one. There is nothing graphic in this but it does deal with sexual assault, so if this is a trigger for you, please don't read this. I'm actually kind of nervous about posting this because I haven't really written anything that deals with this topic and the after-effects of it. I can say that everyone handles this differently, and I can just pull from my own experiences. 
> 
> This is my first work with Penny Parker, basically Peter but a girl because I find the concept so interesting. Honestly, I got into it because of Emily_F6 and the Penny stories she writes. If you have not checked out her stuff, please do because she is amazing! 
> 
> As always, if there are any mistakes or ideas, please let me know so I can fix them. This one is not Beta Read, so there may be more mistakes than normal that I didn't catch. 
> 
> I never thought I would have to write this but: Please don't repost my work on any other site without my permission.
> 
> I hope everyone is safe and please enjoy!
> 
> Title from: Meet Me On The Battlefield by SVRCINA

Penny couldn’t believe she got herself into this situation. Mr. Stark told her not to get involved. He warned her. Forbidden her, actually. 

It was just a low-level human trafficking ring, and she promised she would stay out of it. So far, she had listened, even if it was against her better judgment.

The ring had already taken dozens of teenage girls and boys over the past few months, and at least two bodies had been found dumped in abandoned factories. The wounds on the two teenagers that they found were so gruesome that the local papers refused to publish the extent of them. For some reason, that made Penny's skin crawl with unease. 

Penny kept up with who was missing, just in case she came across them. She honestly didn’t think she would, but she kept an eye out anyway. It wasn't like she was actively looking for them, so she wasn't really defying Mr. Stark. She made sure Karen looked for anyone who was injured or fit the description of those who were missing. One night she was swinging around the city when Karen detected a body in an alley that was near her, and sent her the coordinates. Penny perched on top of a nearby building and scanned the area. There was no one around, so Penny studied the face of the body. 

The girl, Anna, was only 14 years old when she was taken. Her blonde hair had been colored a crude black, and it has been shortened considerably, leaving her looking like an entirely new person. But it was definitely her. Penny was sure of it as she gazed at the enhanced image of the girl. She had the same small birthmark on her left cheekbone that looked like a tiny heart that Penny saw in the missing persons reports. 

When Penny touched down, she had to stop herself from throwing up at the amount of blood that was covering Anna. Penny could see slash marks along Anna’s back and burns along her arms and legs. There were tears along the young girl’s pants that looked like they were ripped open, or jaggedly cut without care, and she was laid bare for everyone to see. She only had one shoe on, and Penny felt her throat tighten when she realized that she used to own a pair just like them. It was the same pair she was wearing when...

“K-Karen? Call the police. Get them here, now,” she said shakily. Penny found a blanket lying on the ground near the dumpster, and she placed it over the girl’s lower half, trying to cover her as best as she could. In the back of her mind, she knew that was probably the wrong thing to do, but she couldn’t let anyone see her like that. 

“Calling the police. Penny, might I suggest calling someone for yourself? You seem upset,” Karen suggested. 

Penny thought this over. She could feel herself having problems breathing, and she knew that swinging away from the scene wasn’t a good idea. Her fingers were shaking too much, and she didn't want to risk not catching herself on her webs. Aunt May was at the hospital, and she knew she wouldn’t have her phone on her. She couldn’t go to MJ or Ned about this. They wouldn’t be able to handle the images that were seared into her brain at the sight of the shoes. Anyway, she didn't know how to explain to them, why she was so affected by the scene, other than the fact that a 14-year-old girl was dead. So, that left one person.

“Um. Is Mr. Stark awake?” Penny asked in a quiet voice, her eyes never leaving Anna. 

“Calling Tony Stark.”

The phone rang twice before the man picked up. “Hey kiddo, how’s patrol? Get any free food?” Mr. Stark asked in a light voice.

“Um. Mr. Stark? I…”

“Pen? What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone turning serious. 

“I...I found her. She’s wearing the same shoes.”

“What? What do you mean ‘same shoes’? Found who?”

Penny knew she wasn’t making any sense, but she couldn’t form the words that explained how horrified she was. Spider-Girl stopped muggings and helped old ladies cross the street. She didn’t handle child victims of human trafficking that were younger than her. She thought she could, just this once, help those who needed it. But maybe she was kidding herself. Perhaps it was too much after what happened to her. 

“I called the police,” she said softly. 

Penny could hear the Iron Man suit starting up in the background. “Karen sent me your location. Hang on, kid. I’m coming.”

“Mr. Stark?” Penny asked, her voice cracking. 

“Yeah, sweetheart?” 

“She’s wearing my shoes…”

~

By the time Mr. Stark landed near her, Penny was on a nearby roof, curled in on herself on the ground. Her legs were tight against her chest, and she tried to make herself as small as possible, hoping the tension would make her stop shaking. Penny could still see the scene below her, but she was far enough out of the way that no one would see her from the ground. The girl was watching the police do their initial investigation, but she knew it would be like the last one, nothing would be found. Whoever was responsible for this was going to get away with it. Again.

“Pen?” Mr. Stark said softly after letting his suit retract from his body. He was still in his pajamas, gray sweatpants, and a light shirt, not bothering to change. 

Penny dragged her gaze away from the scene below her and looked at her mentor turned father figure. She saw the concern and fear in his eyes as he approached her slowly. 

“Penny? What’s going on, kid?” he asked when she didn’t say anything. "Are you hurt?"

“Anna. I found Anna,” she said, the monotone sound making her flinch slightly. Her voice was rough and emotionless. 

“Anna?” Mr. Stark asked, trying to figure out what was going on. 

“She went missing a week ago. Sh-she was 14,” Penny ground out. She closed her eyes, knowing that Mr. Stark was going to look at the scene below them. Knowing what he would see. “I put a blanket over her. I couldn’t let anyone see her like that.”

“Shit,” Mr. Stark muttered when he caught sight of the young girl spread out below them. 

“She didn’t have a chance. They...look at what they did to her, Mr. Stark. They…”

“I know. It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay,” Mr. Stark said as he crouched down in front of her. He looked her over and saw that she was shaking. Without having to think too hard about it, he spoke into his earpiece, “Fri, text May Parker and tell her that I’ve got Penny for the night. She’s okay, just needs a place to relax for a bit. And tell Pep that she should put Morgan to bed early.”

Mr. Stark bent down and fixed her with a calculating look. “You okay to swing, or do you want me to carry you?”

Penny knew what he wanted her to choose, and at that moment, just the prospect of standing was enough to make Penny’s head spin. She had seen all manner of terrible things. She had seen the bowels of society and those who claim they are just trying to help people, but who really prey on the innocent and the weak. She had seen teenagers overdosing on drugs and women who were beaten by their significant others. She saw children being hurt by the people who should have been their protectors. She had experienced the pain of watching a family member die in front of her, their blood soaking through her fingers as she tried to keep them alive. She died. Thanos was one of the worst things she had experienced, but nothing came close to the barbarity she saw used on Anna. Nothing came close to that kind of sadism. It all came crashing down on her at that moment, and she didn’t know if she could take it. 

“Can you carry me?" she asked, avoiding his eyes. 

"You got it," Mr. Stark said. "Can you stick to my back?"

Penny nodded as Mr. Stark pulled her to her feet. She was a little unsteady, but knew that sticking to his armor wouldn't be a problem. She had done it before, and it was actually kind of fun. Penny watched as Mr. Stark let his armor encase him, and he knelt down slightly to let her fasten her arms around his shoulders and stick to the armor. She jumped slightly and wrapped her legs around his waist for extra stability. 

"Hang on, Spiderling. Don't let go, okay?" Mr. Stark instructed.

"I won't."

Penny would never be able to explain the feeling she got when she was attached to Mr. Stark, and he was flying through New York. The wind whipped past her faster than when she was swinging through the city, and it filled her with a sense of calm. Penny realized it was because she felt safe. She was high above the slums of New York, where no one could touch her, and most importantly, Mr. Stark was there. Penny knew that he would do everything he could to protect her, even if she felt like she didn't deserve it sometimes. He was such a busy man, and for him to spend his time worrying about her made her feel warm inside. 

Placing her forehead against his back to shield her masked face from the wind, Penny closed her eyes and thought about the day and how she was going to explain everything to Mr. Stark. It didn’t help that images from her past were assaulting her, making her wonder if she could tell him anything at all. What would he think of her? Would he be mad? Would he not want anything to do with her? 

The flight didn't last long, and by the time Penny was ushered onto one of the couches with her mask off and being handed a tall glass of water, she still didn't know what she was going to say. 

"Okay, kid. Tell me what happened," Mr. Stark probed gently as he sat on the coffee table in front of her. 

Penny avoided his gaze, instead looking at her hands where they were shaking slightly against the glass. How much did she tell him? How much should he know? Penny tried to calm her breathing when she realized that the shallow breaths were not enough to keep her calm. 

"Pen? You can tell me anything. Always,” Mr. Stark said softly. “Let me help you."

Penny looked up to see his eyes boring into hers, and she could see that he was utterly sincere. This was Mr. Stark. She could trust him. 

"I wasn't tracking them. I listened when you said to stay out of the way of the traffickers. But I couldn't just do nothing. So, I had Karen keep an eye out for any of them through facial recognition. I thought if they were near me, then I could help them. Right?"

Mr. Stark nodded slightly, taking in what she was saying. When he didn't say anything, she continued. "So, I was swinging around on patrol, and Karen told me that she detected a body. And normally that sucks anyway but I had to go see if I could help, you know? I needed to help or at least let someone know so they could start investigating. And...I got there, and it was Anna. She’s been missing for two weeks, and I thought she was taken by the trafficking ring, so I had Karen keep a lookout out for her. She...Mr. Stark, she was…” Penny could feel the heat on her face as her eyes started to sting. She shook her head slightly when she couldn’t get the words out right away. 

Mr. Stark shifted slightly and took Penny’s hands in his. “I had F.R.I.D.A.Y. give me a report. You don’t have to explain what they did to her, kid.” He hesitated before asking softly, “what about the shoes? You said she was wearing your shoes.”

Penny swallowed thickly and dragged her bottom lip between her teeth. Her leg started to shake slightly, and she was sure Mr. Stark could feel the anxiety dripping off of her. She had to tell him delicately. Penny knew he would blame himself, even though they weren’t close when it happened. She hadn’t told anyone before, and it terrified her, but when she looked at Mr. Stark and saw nothing but concern in his face, she knew she could tell him. 

“I...Mr. Stark, something happened.” Penny looked down at their clasped hands, unable to look him in the eye when she said what she needed to. He had to understand. She could feel her hands shaking slightly, and he tightened his grasp on her hands.

“I was talking to this guy a while ago. It was just after Germany. Um. He was really nice, and we started to hang out some. He told me there was a party at his house, and he wanted me to be there. And I liked him so much, Mr. Stark. So, I didn’t tell May because she was working doubles because we needed rent money, and I mean, I’m Spider-Girl. I could take care of myself, right?” 

Penny laughed bitterly at her younger self. “I got dressed up because I wanted to impress him. I just got these new shoes with flowers on them, and I wanted to look nice, so I wore them. I...I got there, and there wasn’t a party. It was just us. I didn’t think anything of it because he said people were coming later and that he wanted to spend time with me. And I believed him. I...I was so stupid, Mr. Stark.”

“What happened?” Mr. Stark whispered. Penny could hear the hardness in his tone, but still kept her eyes down. She didn’t want to see the shame and disgust on his face when she told him. 

“There wasn’t a party. He lied to me, and I just froze. He was so heavy, and I couldn’t…” Penny started shaking harder. The tremors began to wrack her entire body instead of just her hands. A sob broke it’s way from her throat, and she gasped through her words. “He...he raped me, Mr. Stark. And I couldn’t...I didn’t...I should have fought harder. With my...my strength...I could have-” 

Before she could say anything else, arms wrapped around her, and her head was pressed into a chest. She grasped at Mr. Stark’s shirt, hearing a slight tearing sound mixed with her sobs. She fought to control her strength, but she wasn’t exactly in the best emotional state.

“Anna was wearing the same shoes. She...they were the same. I couldn’t...Mr. Stark, they were the same shoes.”

“Shh,” Mr. Stark calmed. “It’s okay. You’re okay. I got you.”

“I’m sorry,” Penny cried. She didn’t mean to bring this to him. It wasn’t exactly her plan to tell anyone, the words just felt like acid in her throat, and she needed to get them out.

Penny didn’t know how long they sat there, but Mr. Stark kept her pressed into his chest, his arms never yielding their grasp. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and his hand rubbed comforting circles on her back. It was soothing.

“Does May know?” he asked after her breaths started to come a little easier. 

Penny shook her head. “I never told anyone. He...he said I would regret it. There’s...oh God, Mr. Stark. There are pictures. He took pictures, and he said he would send them to the school if I said anything to anyone. He said he would tell everyone I wanted it, but I didn’t. I didn’t want it, I swear, Mr. Stark. I didn’t want any of it.”

His hold around her tightened slightly, and when he spoke, his voice was dangerously calm. “What’s his name?”

“Steven Westcott. Everyone calls him Skip.” Penny didn’t know why she answered him so quickly, but then she realized what she did. She pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. “What are you going to do? Please don’t do anything.”

Mr. Stark was clenching his jaw. “I’m going to take care of him. There’s no way I’m gonna let that asshole walk around free when he’s still threatening to hurt you.”

“You can’t. What if he-”

“Penny, if you don’t stand up to him, no one will know. If no one knows, it leaves him free to do this again. Someone else could get hurt.”

Penny knew he was right. It was something she struggled with ever since it happened, but she always talked herself out of telling anyone about what he did to her. She was ashamed of what she let happen because she should have stopped it.

“I just don’t want anyone to be disappointed in me.” Penny shook her head slightly and looked down at her lap. “I could have stopped it. It’s my fault.”

Mr. Stark placed a hand under her chin and lifted it until she had to look him in the eyes. “None of this is on you, sweetheart. You froze because you were scared. This is his fault, not yours.”

Penny didn’t reply. She didn’t really know what to say to that. 

“And for the record, I’m not disappointed in you. And I still love you just as much as I did this morning. This doesn’t change anything,” Mr. Stark told her softly. 

Penny let more tears trail down her face. She knew he was telling her the truth, even if she didn’t understand how he didn’t think differently of her. “I’m sorry for dumping all this on you.”

Mr. Stark smiled slightly. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t listen to when it comes to you. I distinctly remember sitting through an hour-long speech about how the only way Supernatural should end is by both of the brothers dying. And believe me, you pulled evidence from season 1 to prove your point.”

Penny chuckled at the memory. She knew Mr. Stark didn’t know much about the show. Still, he sat and listened to her theories about the ending of the show, never interrupting or looking annoyed. 

The smile fell from Mr. Stark’s face. “We need to tell May, though.”

“What if she gets mad at me?”

“Not a chance. She might get worried about you for a while, though. I know I am.”

“I’m fine,” Penny said automatically. 

Mr. Stark raised an eyebrow. “Even if I thought that were true, you still need to tell her.”

“Will you stay with me when I do?” Penny asked. 

“I’ll be right by your side, every step of the way, kiddo. I’m not gonna let you do this alone. And I’m not gonna let him hurt you again. Promise.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> Here it is! I do not have a posting schedule for this, but it will be updated frequently. I am only expecting one or two more chapters out of this. It will NOT be too long, but for some reason I can't just do short things. So. You know. You get more things. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Also, if you have ideas or recommendations, PLEASE let me know. Also, if you see anything that needs to be fixed, I am all about that constructive criticism.

Tony’s hands shook while he was in the bathroom, trying to get his heart rate down. When Penny was telling him what happened to her, he wanted nothing more than to find that Skip asshole and rip him apart. But he knew that he was needed at the Tower with Penny. He didn’t want to leave her alone to hide away in her head as she sometimes did, the only reason that he left her alone at that moment was because he needed to calm down a bit. He knew he couldn’t lose it in front of her. 

There were so many things that made sense to Tony at that moment. The way she tensed when he shut her door the first time they met; he wanted to make sure they weren’t overheard, he didn’t think about the implications of his actions. There were times she would flinch away from his hand slightly in the lab when he reached to tighten a bolt or offer to correct an error of hers. She would jump when there were loud noises she wasn’t expecting. He thought it was just her Spider-Sense. 

“Fri, is Penny done getting ready for bed?” he asked. He decided to give the girl some time to come to terms with telling her aunt. She needed a minute to get her emotions in order and figure out what she was going to say. Tony agreed that it would be better to have the conversation the next day, but he made sure that Penny knew it needed to happen. 

“Yes, Boss. She is already in bed, and has asked me to tell you that you don’t need to check on her.”

Tony let out a sigh. There were many things that he loved about Penny, but the way she was self-sacrificial and didn’t ask for help was not one of them. It had to be some kind of karmic justice for what Tony put Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy through all those years. Tony knew that he was going to be in Penny’s room for a while, he didn’t want her to be alone until she fell asleep, so he told Pepper that he would be in after a while. Thankfully, she didn’t question him. 

"Fri, get me everything on Steven Wescott. I want to know everything about him, no detail is too small."

"Shall I send everything to your personal device?"

"That's probably best."

Before heading to Penny’s room, Tony slipped into Morgan’s room, just to check on her. He smiled down at his daughter, watching the way her chest rose and fell with her breaths that were deep and even. Tony tried not to, but he couldn’t help but the images that flashed through his brain of Morgan being held down by a hulking figure, tears streaming down her face. He thought about how many bad things were out there and everything that could happen to her. He knew that if he could help it, she wouldn’t go through half of what Penny did. He wasn’t there for Penny, but he could be for Morgan. 

That brought on another surge of guilt at not being there for Penny when she needed him the most. He knew it was groundless, he didn’t even really know the girl at the time, but it still made him feel sick at the prospect of something happening to her again. Something that would ultimately break her completely. 

Tony made his way out of Morgan’s room after covering the girl up with her blanket that had been thrown off in the night and pressing a light kiss to her head. Penny’s bedroom was next door, and he took the small hallway to gather his nerves. Would she want him to stay with her, or would she want him to leave? He knew she would try to put up a strong facade, but he knew that she was hurting. Ultimately he decided he wouldn’t know what she needed until he asked. So, he knocked lightly on her door before pushing it open. 

Penny was already laying in bed, but she was staring at the ceiling, unblinking. Tony could smell the coconut shampoo that he bought specially for her and could see the skin on her arms were red. There was steam still seeping out of the bathroom, so he knew she took one hell of a hot shower. He padded over to her bed and sat on the edge. Tony refrained from taking her hand, but he desperately wanted to. 

“Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?” Tony asked lightly.

Penny seemed to search for her words, her eyes flitting back and forth over the ceiling. Her lip started to tremble slightly before she said, “I feel kind of stupid.”

Tony couldn’t let her continue to be alone, so he grabbed her hand in his. “Why?”

“I shouldn’t have freaked out like that. I should’ve just handled it on my own. I’m sorry,” Penny said quietly.

Tony took a deep breath, knowing that Penny didn’t like to inconvenience anyone, even if it meant she got help. “It’s okay to need help, Pen. Don’t even worry about it. I’m glad you told me so that I can help you. I just wish you didn’t feel like you had to wait so long.”

“It’s not really something you can just bring up in conversations, you know? It’s not like I can be like, ‘hi, I’m Penny. I was raped because I trusted the wrong person.’”

Tony frowned at his pseudo daughter, and lightly nodded his head. “I guess you’re right. Still, that’s a heavy thing to carry around all by yourself.”

Penny simply shrugged. 

They sat in silence for a while before Tony knew he would need to bring the incident up again. “I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do. But, we need to do something about Skip,” he said softly.

Penny let out a small whine, but Tony kept pushing forward with his thoughts. “I also don’t want your choice to be taken from you again. Now, I can have Pepper look into legal ways to handle this without telling her everything, but it would make it easier on us if she knew. Is that okay?”

“Do I have to tell her?”

“No.”

“Can you do it?” Penny asked, her eyes searching desperately for comfort. 

Tony simply nodded. 

“What if she sees me differently? What if she thinks it’s my fault?”

“There’s no way in hell that’ll happen. If anyone even hints at it being your fault, I’ll take care of them. Because it’s not.”

“Okay,” Penny whispered. “Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

“Always, kid. Just tell me what you need, and it’ll happen.”

Penny seemed to consider his words, and Tony could see a battle behind her eyes. “When I can’t sleep, May lays with me for a while. If...if that’s weird, you don’t have to. I just...it makes me feel safe. May, and Pepper, and you make me feel safe.”

“Do you know how many times I’ve laid with Morgan praying that she falls asleep? I’m not new to this, kiddo.” Tony positioned himself on the edge of the bed and rested against the headboard. Penny scooted over, so her head was on her pillow, and Tony was close enough to run his fingers through her hair. Her fingers scrunched the hem of his shirt in her grip, presumably, so she knew he was there when she closed her eyes. 

“Fri, play the Spider-baby’s sleep playlist.”

The comforting piano played through the room as Penny tried to fall asleep. Tony kept his fingers gently gliding through her hair, and when she would startle herself awake, he would whisper assurances in her ear. It took a while, but finally, Penny was fast asleep, her nose pressed into Tony’s side, and her breathing deep and even. 

Carefully, Tony untangled himself from her grasp and made sure she was still asleep when he left her room. 

“Fri, let me know if she wakes up.”

“Will do, boss.”

~

When Tony was finally calm enough to go into his bedroom, he found Pepper sprawled out on the bed with her StarkPad in her hand. He assumed she was finishing up last minute emails while she waited for him to come to bed. It was something they had started after Morgan was able to sleep in her bed throughout the night. Pepper told him it was good for him to have a nightly routine that helped him get a reasonable amount of sleep. 

Pepper glanced up and took him in. "Hey, how's Penny?"

Tony didn't know what to say. He stood at the foot of their bed with his hands in his pockets. Something in his face must have tipped Pepper off because she put down her StarkPad and gave him her full attention. 

"Tony?"

"I need you to get in contact with legal. See if there's anything we can do about a rape that was committed before the Snap."

"A ra- Tony, what happened?" Pepper asked, horror filling her voice.

Tony sat at the end of their bed, his hands digging into his hair, and his elbows supported on his knees. He couldn't look at Pepper when he told her. He could feel Pepper shifting on the bed, and her arms came around his shoulders, providing a small amount of comfort. 

"I just talked to Pen. She found one of those girls that were taken by the trafficking ring. They...God, Pep. They did a number on her. Penny freaked out when she saw the body. I mean, she's seen so much shit that I can't begin to imagine, but I knew this time was different."

Pepper waited patiently for Tony to continue. She rubbed his back in silent encouragement. 

"Some asshole raped her."

"The girl that Penny found?"

Tony shook his head slowly. "Well, yes. But that's not who I was...she said it happened just after the fight with Cap. Some guy tricked her into thinking there was a party. And I wasn’t there to protect her."

Tony lifted his head and looked at Pepper. He hoped he was conveying all he needed in his eyes. Slowly, he watched realization cross Pepper's face, and he saw the emotions that were warring on her. 

“Tony, you didn’t know Penny for long when this happened. Blaming yourself isn’t going to help anything,” she tried to soothe.

Tony dismissed her comment, choosing instead, to keep silent.

"I'll get legal on this. We might have to outsource, because this isn’t exactly what our team usually deals with. Did she give you a name?" Pepper asked. 

"Steven Westcott."

"I'll let them know. It'll be helpful if you can get me any information on him. And Tony, this needs to be handled in a non-Avengers way. You can't kill him."

"Believe me, I thought about it," Tony growled. "It's not what Penny wants. Jury's out on whether or not I'm gonna scare him, though. F.R.I.D.A.Y. is getting everything she can on him."

"Does May know?"

Tony shook his head. "That's on the schedule for tomorrow. I figured we could let her have the night to relax and calm down before we tear her world apart."

"Okay. Maybe we can get Natasha to keep an eye on Morgan tomorrow so we can get everything done as fast as possible. I don't feel good about dragging this out. Not when someone else could get hurt," Pepper said. 

"I'll go down and see the gang. Maybe Morgan can just spend the night in one of the guest rooms tomorrow."

"Tony, don't tell them what happened. At least not until Penny says it's okay."

"I won't."

Thankfully, Friday was good at what she did, and they didn't have to wait long. "Boss, I have the files on Steven Wescott for you."

"Thanks, girl."

"Just promise me that you'll get some sleep tonight," Pepper said, threading her fingers through his hair. 

"Promise." 

He knew he wouldn't. From the look that Pepper gave him, she knew as much, but thankfully she didn't call him on it. 

With one last kiss on Pepper's forehead, Tony made his way to the elevator. 

"Fri, let the team know I'm coming. I need Nat and Steve there, everyone else doesn't really need to be involved."

Tony pulled out his phone and swiped through the files on Steven Wescott. The man didn't get blipped, so he was twenty-two years old and was still in college. It seemed he was doing well at Colombia University, he was even a star on their football team. Tony found that highly infuriating. He had no arrest record, and he also volunteered with orphanages in the city, spending the day playing football with the kids. 

The man was squeaky clean, and it rubbed Tony the wrong way. There had to be something else hidden in his life. Just because he never got caught, didn't mean he never did anything wrong.

"Fri, send all of this to Pepper and legal. Make sure they know everything about him. And be a dear, try to hack into his computer and phone files. Let's see what he's hiding."

"Boss, anything you find won't be of use to the investigation. It will be considered obtained by unlawful means. It could do more harm than good."

"I still want to see it. It won't hurt to point the cops in the right direction."

Tony stepped out of the elevator to find Natasha and Steve waiting, both dressed in sweats, obviously just having gotten done with a workout. 

"Stark, what's going on?" Steve asked. 

Normally, Tony would give a sarcastic answer or quip in some way, but he was emotionally drained by the night's events and just couldn't find it in himself to make a joke. 

"I need a favor from both of you, but I can't give you all the details. You're just gonna need to trust me on this one."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "What details can you give us?"

"First, Pep and I need someone to watch Morgan tomorrow. She probably needs to spend the night in a guest room tomorrow night. Nat, can you take care of it?"

"Sure. We can have a girl's night. What about Penny? Doesn't she normally watch her?"

Tony cursed to himself. He knew Natasha would ask all the right questions. "The reason involves Penny. She's not going to be in any state to take care of anyone tomorrow."

"Is she okay?" Steve asked.

"She will be. Just... don't ask her any questions right now."

Steve nodded. "Got it. What do you need me to do?" 

"I need you to pack a bag and go keep an eye on a guy named Steven Wescott, goes by Skip. Make sure you're not seen and do not engage unless someone is in trouble. I also need you to call me if he gets anywhere near the Tower."

"Who is he? Terrorist?"

Tony clenched his jaw. "He hurt my kid, Steve. I can't tell you anything else, just, make sure no girls are alone with him."

Steve's eyes narrowed slightly, and he balled his fists up next to his sides. "I'll bring Buck with me, just in case."

"Fine, but Wilson needs to stay here. Just in case he's needed."

"Okay, have F.R.I.D.A.Y. send us Wescott's information, and we can leave in a couple of hours," Steve said, turning down the hallway to get ready for his mission.

Tony turned to Natasha and saw that her shoulders were tense. 

"Why do they get to go on a mission, and I get to stay here and babysit? I'm a hell of a lot better at blending in and not being seen," she argued.

"Because I don't need him dead. Rogers will be fine, but he doesn't have it in him to kill someone unprovoked."

"And someone assaulting a teenager isn't being provoked?" Natasha argued.

"I never said-"

"It was implied. Remember, I'm good at reading people. Plus, you weren't really subtle."

Tony let out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. I just... I need you to help me tomorrow. Her aunt's coming by, and we're telling her. Pep's going to be working with legal, and hopefully will be able to give her aunt some answers. I just need Morgan to be elsewhere. She doesn't need to know about all this. If there's a need for your skills, I'll call you. But Penny wants this done right."

"I promise that I won't kill him unless he gives me a valid reason to," Natasha said. "And I will take Morgan. Just don't let him get off easy, Stark."

"Not a chance in hell."

"And let Penny know that she can talk to me. I might not know a lot about what it's like to be a normal teenage girl, but I know what it's like to have my choices taken from me. It might help knowing someone understands."

There were moments when Tony realized just how much he came to respect Natasha. It was in subtle acts and glances. Sometimes it was how she was with Morgan and how fast she accepted Penny when everyone came back. This was just another moment that struck him in the chest. A moment where he realized how much the woman had gone through in her life. And he had to say, he wouldn't trust anyone else with his kids more than the ex-assassin standing in front of him, aside from Pepper, obviously. 

With a nod to his friend, Tony made his way back to his floor, fully intending to hack into every piece of technology Steven Wescott owned. There would be no running for the man that made Penny's life hell. There was nothing that could save him from Tony's wrath.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> So, this chapter was hard for me to write. I took a lot of the ideas for this from the incident that happened with Brock Turner. I kind of took inspiration from the media storm that surrounded that case as well as the general vibe of people. I’m sorry if this is offensive to anyone. I just wanted to show how some people are, for lack of a better term, attacked in situations like this. Some of the comments I took from my personal life as well. So. Just be careful with this one. 
> 
> Warnings: victim-blaming

Penny sat at the counter, her right leg bouncing against the footrest of the stool. She willed herself to take a bite of the eggs that Mr. Stark placed in front of her. Penny knew she needed to eat. If she didn't, she would make herself sick. With her metabolism, she needed to eat much more than regular people, but she couldn't find it in herself to swallow the eggs. 

"Pen, you need to eat something," Mr. Stark told her. 

"I know. I... If I eat, I think I'm gonna throw up," Penny admitted.

Mr. Stark took stock of her and grabbed something from the fridge. He held out a small bottle and said, "I know they're Morgan's, but maybe this will help calm your stomach a bit. Eggs might be too heavy."

Penny took the bottle with a small tilt of her head. It tasted bitter on her tongue, but thankfully it stayed down. "Thanks."

Mr. Stark watched her for a second, presumably to make sure the drink stayed down. Then he said softly, "we're sending Morgan down to hang out with Nat today. We won't have to worry about her hearing anything."

"That's probably a good idea," Penny murmured. 

"We're gonna work this out, Pen. You don't have to say anything you don't want to, and if you decide not to go the legal way, we can do that too."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Stark had the decency to look slightly unsure. "What I mean is, we have people who don't like to see those they care about in pain, who might be able to send a nonlethal message. Though the message would be given quite clearly."

Penny knew what he meant. She knew he wanted to tell the Avengers and have them deal with Skip. There was a small part of her that wished she would say yes to them, but ultimately, she knew that it wasn't the right way to go about it. Still, the images of Skip being surrounded by the people she had come to see as family sent a thrill of gratitude through her. It wasn't anything about Skip being hurt, no that wasn't why she let a small smile creep on her lips. It was the fact that Penny had so many people willing to fight for her. If they did that, the incident would be swept away, and no one would know who Skip was and what he had done. For some reason, this didn't sit right with Penny.

"No. People need to see him for what he is. I kept up with him a little bit after it happened. It was just to make sure he kept his end of the deal, really. No one ever saw what he was or even considered that he would..." Penny shook her head. "I want to do this the right way."

Mr. Stark looked like he didn't approve of her choice, but she knew he would respect it. It probably had something to do with him wanting to be part of the 'warning committee' that went to Skip. 

"Boss, May Parker is here," F.R.I.D.A.Y. said softly. 

Penny took a deep breath and felt her body give a little shake. She could feel the Pedialyte churning in her stomach as Mr. Stark told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to let May up to the penthouse. Penny moved, almost in a trance, to the living room where Pepper was settled with her laptop. She knew the woman was working with the lawyers on the case, but it made her feel even more secure in her decision knowing Pepper Stark was at the helm of this. 

Pepper said something to her, but Penny didn't hear it. She just sat down on the couch and willed herself to breathe deep. She could get through telling May about what happened. She confided in Mr. Stark, and he didn't think any differently of her. May wouldn't either. 

Suddenly, May was sitting beside her with a worried look on her face that made Penny want to hide under the couch. This was because of her. Penny was the reason May looked scared and tired. Penny glanced over to see Mr. Stark sitting next to Pepper, giving Penny an encouraging smile. 

"Penny?" Aunt May said. "You're starting to scare me, baby. What's going on?"

"I..." Penny swallowed. "You're not gonna like it."

"I don't like sitting here when something is obviously happening, and I don't know about it. Cut the bullshit, what's going on?"

Penny couldn't look her aunt in the eyes as she began her story. She went over as little detail as possible while still getting the story across. By the end of it, her hands were shaking, and she was biting her bottom lip to keep from sobbing. The tears running down Penny's face was enough to make May pull her into a tight hug. 

"Oh, my God. My baby," May said frantically. "Why didn't you tell me? You could have come to me. I would have fixed it. I-I could have..."

"I'm sorry, Aunt May. I didn't know what to do. I-I panicked, and then I couldn't say anything because he had the pictures. Then it was too late, and..."

"Shh. Stop apologizing, this isn't your fault. None of it is your fault."

Penny whispered into her aunt's chest, "but I'm Spider-Girl."

Aunt May pulled back slightly and cupped Penny's face in her hands. Her eyes shone with a mixture of rage and desperation. "That doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," Penny whispered. 

Penny heard Mr. Stark take in a ragged breath and saw Pepper put a comforting hand on his arm. The girl hadn't seen him stressed about this yet. He had seemed calm, aside from the small ticks that Penny learned throughout the years that told her he was angry or scared. 

"That's okay, baby," Aunt May said, getting her attention. "But I'm going to keep telling you over and over that it's not your fault until you believe me. No compromises."

Penny nodded, then turned to the adults around her. "So, what now?"

Pepper sat forward a bit. "I've been in contact with some lawyers, and I have some suggestions that they wanted me to pass along to you. We-" Pepper faltered. Pepper never faltered. "We found some information on him. The official word is that there is nothing we have that can prove what happened. No one was there, and there's no...physical...evidence." There was an apology in Pepper's eyes when she said this. 

"But," Mr. Stark continued, "if we could find the photos, that would be enough to open the discussion."

Penny blanched. She didn't know if she wanted to see the pictures again, much less other people see them. "And without them?" she asked softly, avoiding the prying eyes. 

"Then there's not much of a chance for a conviction," Pepper told her. "We could hope for others to come forward, but it's not a guarantee."

"And if they don't, everyone will think I'm lying." 

"Not everyone," Aunt May told her. "Tony, can't you do something? Call someone?"

Tony shook his head, "if I deal with the situation myself, it won't be through a court system. I might be able to get the photos and happen to drop them in a place that is convenient for the cops to find, but that's it."

"Tony," Pepper warned. 

"No, Pep. I'll do it if it means getting this guy off the street. Especially away from the orphans that someone thought it was a good idea to put him in charge of."

Penny's heart dropped. "He's around kids?"

"We...found out that he is a college student that volunteers with orphans from the Snap. But, hey, if you don't want to do this, I can get him out another way. Don't feel like this means you have to tell people your story," Mr. Stark warned. 

Penny rubbed her hands together, letting the friction ground her. She was Spider-Girl. Ever since Uncle Ben died, it was Penny's responsibility to look out for the little guy no matter what it cost her. She died fighting for what she believed in, and she knew that she would do it again without hesitation. Penny realized that she was the one thing standing between Skip and other people. 

"I owe it to the kids he's around to warn people. No matter what." Penny bit her bottom lip and let out a mirthless chuckle. "I'm Spider-Girl. I need to watch out for people who can't fight for themselves. It would be wrong if I didn't say anything."

"Penny," Pepper said. "Are you sure?"

Penny looked at her aunt, who placed a hand on her cheek. Aunt May's eyes screamed that she would support whatever she wanted to do. Then, Penny turned to look at the Starks, who didn't have to do any of this for her. Penny nodded.

"I'm sure."

~

Talking to the cops probably made Penny's top 10 things she never wanted to do again. At her request, her aunt stayed out of the room, and the officers were both women. They regarded her with compassion, and she never once felt like she was doubted. They took her statement carefully, and told her that they would look into it before telling her that she was brave.

Walking out of the police precinct should have felt liberating, but Penny only felt bogged down with anxiety. Those cops believed her, but what if others didn't? Would she have to take the stand and tell a crowd full of people her story? What if no one else came forward? What if he found her before the court hearing?

That had been weeks ago. So far, they didn't know much. Just that Skip was interviewed and let the cops have access to search his apartment without a warrant. They hadn't found anything on his phone or computer, so Penny had to assume the pictures were gone. No one had spoken up yet, and Skip's lawyers had been in contact with her lawyers. So, he knew who was making the accusations. Mr. Stark told her that he wouldn't release the pictures at that point because it would confirm her story. At least she had that going for her. 

Penny was snapped out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She recoiled instantly but then realized it was just Mr. Stark. She blinked around her, and saw that it was just the two of them. It took her a few moments to remember that May had to work, so she was staying with the Starks for the night. 

"Sorry, kiddo," Mr. Stark said, holding his hands up in surrender. 

Penny shook her head and stepped towards him. "Not your fault. I'm just...in my head."

"I see that. Anything you wanna talk about?" 

It had been a question posed to her a lot in the past few weeks. Everyone knew what was on her mind, but they wanted her to come to them. Something about letting her do everything in her own time. It was kind of comforting, but she wished they would just ask her if she was thinking about Skip. 

"Just thinking about everything. I... _ he  _ knows it was me who said something, right?"

Mr. Stark regarded her carefully, then led her over to the couches where Morgan's books were spread around waiting for the girl to wake up from her nap. "They had to tell him where the accusations came from."

Penny shifted slightly. "What if...I just keep thinking that, if he knows it's me, he could...come after me? I know it sounds crazy, and I'm Spider-Girl but-"

"Pen? Are you scared of him?"

Penny looked up to see Mr. Stark looking completely serious. She bit the inside of her cheek, considering. "I keep thinking that he's just gonna show up and it makes it hard to walk home from school sometimes. My senses have been a little out of whack lately. It's like I can  _ feel  _ someone watching me even if there isn't anyone there. It's really scary, Mr. Stark. I don't know if I've ever been this scared."

Mr. Stark narrowed his eyes slightly. "You think someone's following you?"

Penny shrugged, unsure. "I might just be going crazy with all the stress."

"Even so, I don't wanna risk it," Mr. Stark said. "I'd feel better if you and May came to stay at the Tower until all of this is done. I have security here, and I can have Happy drive you to and from school every day."

"Mr. Stark, that's too much."

"Please. It'll make Pepper, and I feel better. Do it for us," Mr. Stark coaxed. 

"I'll talk to May, but really, she'll probably say the same thing."

~

May did not say the same thing. When Penny brought up the idea of staying at the Tower, her aunt agreed wholeheartedly. Penny thought it had something to do with being in a controlled environment away from the press. The media had latched onto the story when it got leaked by Skip's legal team, and they were not gentle with their opinions. 

May and Mr. Stark tried to keep Penny away from everything, but it was impossible. One morning, the girl opened her phone and saw that #JusticeforWescott was trending. Penny felt her heart speed up at the tag and almost threw up when she read the posts. 

**Queens teenager accuses All-Star Columbia Football player and orphanage volunteer of sexual assault.**

**Why did she wait so long to come forward? It makes no sense! #JusticeforWescott**

**This girl needs to just suck it up before she ruins his life. Many people live with their abusers, at least she doesn’t have to deal with that. #JusticeforWescott**

**Sorry, but even if he did do it, one bad decision shouldn't ruin his whole life #JusticeforWescott**

**Maybe she shouldn't have put herself in that position in the first place. I mean, everyone knows how teenage boys are. #JusticeforWescott**

**Childhood friend claims, "he was always nice to everyone," and states, "the whole thing is just a huge misunderstanding." #JusticeforWescott**

That was all Penny could read before she felt herself gagging against the nausea that crept up her throat. The girl launched herself out of her bed and made it just in time to make it to the toilet. Her throat burned as she tasted the acid on her tongue. 

"Penny," F.R.I.D.A.Y. called. "I have alerted Mr. Stark of your condition."

"No, Fri..." Penny begged. She knew F.R.I.D.A.Y. had to tell Mr. Stark, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

It wasn't long before Penny felt her stomach heave again. The worst thing was, she heard a voice behind her. 

" _ Oh, kid _ ," Mr. Stark breathed.

"I'm okay. I'm good," Penny said, trying to climb her way to her feet. Unfortunately, her stomach gave another jolt, and she let herself lean against the toilet seat. 

Hesitant hands reached for her hair, and Penny knew there was vomit on the ends. She tried to turn away from Mr. Stark, but he ignored her. He held her hair and rubbed comforting circles on her back. 

They stayed that way for a while before Mr. Stark asked, "do you feel good enough to go back to your room?"

Penny nodded, and Mr. Stark helped her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her and guided her back to her room. After getting her some water, Mr. Stark sat on the bed beside her and asked what happened. Penny knew the question was coming, but she didn't know how to put it into words. Instead, she handed him her phone that blared the offending articles. 

Warily, Penny watched his features twist into fury. "They don't believe me," Penny whispered.

"It doesn't matter if they do or not. It matters what the courts say," Mr. Stark tried to soothe. 

Penny felt tears fall down her cheeks. "Can I stay home today? I don't think I can... Please?"

"Yeah, kid. I'll call your aunt and let her know you'll be here when she gets off her shift. I'm gonna get Pepper on this, but in the meantime, don't look at the news."

"But-"

"No buts. F.R.I.D.A.Y. will make sure you can't access anything about the trial. It's not good for you to be this upset about people who have the brainpower of a 2x4."

Penny let out a strangled chuckle. She knew that even though they were saying terrible things about her, it didn't make it accurate. Penny leaned into Mr. Stark's side, and he pulled her in close. 

"I just want this to be over."

"I know, baby. I promise it won't be too much longer. The trial is in a few days, and then we can make sure Wescott can't hurt anyone ever again. I’ve got you."

Penny didn’t miss the endearment that fell naturally from Mr. Stark’s lips, and it made her chest warm with affection. 

"Promise?"

"Yeah, kid. I promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> Here is the next chapter! This only has one more to go and I promise you that it will be a happy ending. I don't like writing things that don't have a happy ending because I'm a sap, honestly. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

One thing that went in Penny's favor was her age. Because she was under the age of eighteen, they allowed her the option to give her testimony without Skip present. She didn't have to think about it at all to agree to those terms. When she told her story, for what she hoped would be the last time, it was the judge, both attorneys, the jury, and the court reporter. Penny wished May or Mr. Stark could have sat with her, but she was told it would hurt their case. 

No one else came forward. With all the media coverage, Penny didn't blame anyone for staying silent. She would have stayed silent if she knew someone else was working to bring Skip to justice. It would have been nice to know she wasn't alone, but it looked like she was going to shoulder the burden by herself. 

There was a good chance they were going to lose.

Then, the pictures were anonymously sent to the police department. 

Penny knew what was in the pictures. She knew because he showed her. After. She knew her face was visible, her eyes red and wide with terror. Her body splayed out under him. His face was in some of them. His lips turned up in a smirk. His eyes dead. His hands on her. 

Penny knew what everyone saw. 

She made Mr. Stark and May promise not to look at them. They agreed instantly, not needing proof from her. The lawyers saw them, and when she saw some of them in the hallways of the Tower, they gave her sympathetic smiles. 

Somehow, having the pictures out there for people to see, made Penny feel even more sick to her stomach. More embarrassed. She reasoned that if that's what it took to get Skip off the streets, then so be it. She would be okay. 

Morgan knew something was happening, but no one told her specifics. They simply told her that someone bad hurt Penny. Often, the girl would crawl into Penny's bed and lay next to her, offering any comfort she could. When Morgan told Penny that she would protect her from the scary monsters, Penny wrapped the small girl in her arms and cried. 

May took the week off of work for the verdict. If it went their way, she wanted to stick close to Penny just in case there was backlash. If it didn't go their way, well...Penny was going to need her. 

Pepper made sure to keep Penny away from the news as much as she could. The woman worked tirelessly on the case in addition to her duties to S.I. When Penny told her she didn't need to work so much on Penny's P.R. fire, Pepper kissed her on the head and said she didn't mind. That Mr. Stark had gotten in more trouble, so this was nothing. 

Mr. Stark didn't leave Penny's side. He distracted her when she needed it. Even when he put Morgan to bed, he made sure Penny knew he was right next door.

Then the day came for the verdict. 

Penny sat in the middle of the courtroom, May on her left, the woman's arm looped in her own, and Mr. Stark on her right. She didn't want to be there, but she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't confront Skip. When he came into the room, his pale blue eyes locked on hers, and his lips turned up in a confident smirk. He thought he was getting off on the charges.

A hand wrapped itself around her shaking fingers, and Penny looked up to find Mr. Stark glaring at the man. Skip caught Mr. Stark's eye and immediately sat down, avoiding his gaze. 

"Thanks," Penny whispered. She turned her hand, so their palms were facing and held onto him like a lifeline. 

"Remember what I said. Even if it doesn't go the way we want, I'm not letting anything happen to you," Mr. Stark promised.

"He's not getting out of this, sweetie," Aunt May said. "If he does, we'll fight it."

The room turned silent, and everyone stood to attention when the judge was announced. He was an older man, his gray hair sitting in thin layers across his head, glasses perched on the end of his long nose. When he spoke, it was how Penny imagined a grandfather would sound, voice frail and thin. 

"Good morning. We have heard testimonies from all parties involved, as well as statements from character witnesses. The prosecution has delivered evidence that has been considered heavily by those making the decision today. 

Before we begin, I want to say that the media coverage of this case has made it especially difficult to judge. Both sides have expressed support for the individuals involved. Through all the years I've been on this bench, I have never seen such an outcry for a case. As I understand it, the jury has reached a verdict in this case."

A man stood from his post and was asked if they reached a verdict. The man indicated they had. "On the charge of possession of child pornography, we the jury find the defendant, Steven Wescott, guilty."

Penny let out a breath. They listened to her. She almost believed that everything was going to be okay. 

"On the charge of sexual misconduct, we find the defendant, not guilty."

Penny held on tighter to Mr. Stark's hand. 

"On the charge of rape in the first degree, not guilty."

All the breath fell from Penny's lungs. An arm wrapped around Penny, and her head was being cradled in Aunt May's hands, her face pressed into her chest. Mr. Stark's grip tightened on her, helping to ground her. Penny could hear gasps of surprise mixed with the sighs of relief. 

Penny pulled away from Aunt May when the judge started to speak again. She tried not to, but her eyes slid past Skip. The man was looking at her, his eyes held mirth and something predatorial that sent a jolt of fear down Penny's spine. 

The judge cleared his throat and began. "I have looked over this case more than I care to. There are many things we must take away from this situation, mostly, we need to understand that our actions have consequences. As I understand it, the young lady in question is in this room, and I would like to extend my sympathy to her. However, this is another reminder that we need to be cautious of those we give power to in our lives. 

That being said, young man, I find your testimony to be quite moving. You seem to be genuinely apologetic about the situation and your hand in it. You are a pillar in the community, and you have no previous arrest records. Therefore, you will be registered to the sex registry for the state of New York, as it is mandatory for the charge you were convicted of. You will also be fined $3,000 for recompense for your actions to the state of New York. You will not be facing jail time, as I do not believe it will be beneficial to you, Mr. Wescott. 

I highly encourage you to keep your nose clean from here on out. Court is adjourned."

Penny watched as Skip stood and hugged his mother, who was crying. Mr. Stark put a hand on Penny's shoulder and ushered her to her feet. 

"Come on, kid. Let's get you out of here."

"He got away with it," Penny said numbly. 

"I'm gonna fix this. Let's just get out of here before people start talking to us. Come on," Mr. Stark said, a bit more firmly.

They started to scoot out of the aisle of seats but were stopped by a group of people. At the front stood Skip. 

"Penny-" he started.

"No. You don't get to talk to her," Mr. Stark growled. The man lightly grabbed Penny's arms and stepped in front of her, creating a barrier between her and Skip. Penny threaded her fingers into the back of his suit and ducked behind him, letting her forehead rest against his back, and the smell of his cologne provided comfort. 

Penny heard the man start to speak, but Mr. Stark cut him off again. "You don't get to speak to her. In fact, if you ever come near her again, if you even  _ think  _ about it _ ,  _ I will make sure no one finds your body. You'll be hearing from us, Mr. Wescott."

"Is that a threat, Mr. Stark?" Skip asked, a challenge in his voice.

"No. I don't make threats. See, I didn't have to threaten Thanos or any of the other deadbeat bad guys I've fought. No, I don't threaten, Mr. Wescott. I promise."

With that, Mr. Stark stepped forward, making Skip take a few quick steps back. May put an arm around Penny and guided her out of the room and only paused for Mr. Stark to catch up with them. 

"Happy is waiting on us. When we get outside, you hold onto my hand. Don't answer any questions, and don't leave my side. May, walk on the other side of Penny and make sure you don't leave her side, either. They might try to get a reaction out of you guys by asking some terrible questions, but don't buy into it." Mr. Stark gave them enough time to understand his instructions before putting on his sunglasses and passing a pair over to Penny. When Penny had the dark shades over her eyes to protect her from the flashing cameras, he said, "let's do this."

The amount of noise that assaulted Penny's senses was not made better by the fact that the flashes were dulled by the glasses. If anything, the dulling of her sight made her ears more sensitive. Mr. Stark was pushing his way through the crowd, not caring if he was rough. He kept up with a stream of "no comments" as the reports asked their questions and thrust their microphones in his face. 

Penny kept her arms around Mr. Stark as he led her through the crowds. He had one arm wrapped entirely around her, and she was able to hide her face in his side to try to stop the flashing. Penny could feel May with her hand on her back, making a barrier between her and the reporters. 

"Penny, how does it feel being the reason a man almost went to prison for your lies?"

"Ms. Parker, what do you have to say to Steven Wescott and his family? Are you sorry for the pain you've caused?"

"Penny, tell us how you feel about the verdict!"

"Mr. Stark, how can you justify helping someone who falsely accused someone of rape? Some say it shines a bad light on The Avengers, what do you say to them?"

Penny let a sob tear its way from her lips. She was making people not trust the Avengers. That's not what she wanted to do, and it wasn't fair that she was bringing them down. Mr. Stark must have heard her because he held her tighter against him. 

After what felt like forever, they finally made it to the car. Penny was ushered into the darkened interior and sighed in relief when her senses got a break from the reporters. She could feel the beginnings of a headache push against her temples, and she knew she was going to get a migraine. It happened when her senses got overloaded, and she was able to recognize when a migraine was going to happen. 

When they got settled into the car, Aunt May pulled Penny's head into her arms and held her. "How's your head?"

"It hurts," Penny whispered. "I wasn't expecting so much noise and light. Migraine."

"It's okay, sweetie. We'll get you back to the Tower, and we'll get you some medicine."

"They," Penny's voice hitched, "they didn't believe me. I thought...and he just got away with it." Tears streamed down her face. She tried to stop them, but she could feel the hysteria bubbling in her chest, and then it was hard to breathe. 

She choked out, "now the Avengers are in trouble, and it's all my fault. Mr. Stark promised it was going to be okay, but Skip's still out there, and nothing is stopping him from-from hurting someone else. Oh, God, what if he tries to hurt M.J. because of me? What if he tries to get back at me by going after my friends? What-what if he-oh, God." Penny's voice died into violent sobs. 

Aunt May held her head, threading her fingers through her hair. Penny knew Aunt May's shirt was being ruined by her tears, but she couldn't care. 

"Pen?" Mr. Stark said. "Hey, look at me for a second."

Penny lifted her head and tried to breathe through her panic. 

"I promised he wasn't going to hurt anyone ever again. I don't make promises I can't keep. Okay?"

Penny nodded.

"I don't want you to listen to anything those vultures said to you. They just wanted to get a reaction. It's kind of their job. People have doubted the Avengers for a long time, it has nothing to do with you."

"But I didn't help anyone."

"He's on the sex offender registry, so he won't be allowed near any kids. Even if he didn't get jail time, if he messes up again, everyone will know. Someone else could still come forward. But, if no one does, and he never does jail time, he isn't going to hurt you or anyone else. Do you trust me on that?"

"Yeah, Mr. Stark. I trust you."

"I'm gonna fix this, kid. If not, I could always send Cap, Bucky, and Nat."

"You wouldn't," Penny said in horror. "They'd probably kill him."

"Believe me, they wouldn't have to. Wescott would probably be so scared, he'd shit himself, then make  _ himself _ disappear." Tony stopped to think for a second. "Fri, remind me to have a conversation with Nat and Steve when they are in."

"Mr. Stark," Penny whined. 

"You can despise it all you want. All I care about is you and what this is doing to you. Now, I want you to get into bed when we get back and get some rest." Mr. Stark cupped Penny's face, and she leaned into the touch. "Give your senses a break for a while, and let me handle all this."

Penny knew he would. There was a fierceness in his gaze that said he wouldn't let anyone get away with hurting her. He was absolutely serious about doing whatever it took to make sure Skip was taken care of. Penny couldn't find it in her to argue with him any longer about what he would do to Skip, so she leaned into his side and found comfort in the small family she knew would always be there to help her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Runs and hides*


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> Here is the last chapter!!! I am SO excited for you guys to read this. Thank you so much for everyone who has enjoyed this story. It was something that I felt I needed to write and I'm very happy with how it came out. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The blankets cocooned Penny in warmth and safety. Her room was dark, and F.R.I.D.A.Y. had initiated the Sleeping Spider Protocol that made her room soundproof. It was something Mr. Stark put in after he found out Penny's senses sometimes went into overload. Penny remembered the time it was so bad that even the blood pumping through her veins was enough to give her a migraine. Mr. Stark felt helpless because he couldn't even be in the room with her without causing her pain. The man sat outside her door, whispering stories to her.

Penny hadn't gotten out of bed for what felt like forever. It had to have been days since the trial, and the news that Skip was given a slap on the wrist. At first, Penny was determined to stay positive, if only for those around her. As the days went on, she felt her conviction ebb out of her body with every soft word and casual glance from May and Mr. Stark. Aunt May took a few days off to sit with Penny, but she had to go back to work. They still had bills to pay. Life still went on.

Mr. Stark tried to be there for her, but Penny found herself unable to give more than one-word answers and stale smiles when he tried to make jokes. Morgan sat with Penny, asking her to play games. When she realized it wasn't going to happen, the small girl left with disappointment dripping from her shoulders. 

There was a knock at the door. It was hesitant, almost pleading. "Penny? Can I come in?"

"Yeah," Penny whispered. She didn't know if it made it past the door, but she couldn't summon the energy to care. 

The door opened, and Penny heard soft footsteps enter the room. She didn't want to see anyone, so she continued to face the wall. 

"Tony says you're not eating," Natasha said softly.

"I'm not hungry."

"That doesn't really matter, now does it? Your body still needs far more meals than the rest of us, and if anyone else had stopped eating for as long as you have, we would be having the same talk."

Penny felt the bed behind her dip with Nat's sudden weight.

"I can't, Nat."

"Why not, маленький паук?" Nat asked softly.

A small smile broke its way from Penny's lips. "You haven't called me 'little spider' in a long time."

Penny turned, so she was facing Natasha. It was light enough in the room for Penny to see the expression on Natasha's face. It was almost blank, save for a scrunch of her eyebrow and the slight tremble of her bottom lip. But what struck Penny the most was Nat's eyes. They were soft with worry and piercing as the woman evaluated her. 

Natasha didn't talk for a while, just watched Penny. Then, she said, "laying in bed...starving yourself... isn't going to hurt him."

"That's not-"

"I know." Natasha swallowed, and a look of deliberation crossed her face before she settled her eyes on the wall at the end of the bed. "You know, I was only a bit younger than you are now when I first killed someone."

Penny wasn't expecting that. She didn't know what to say, so she stayed quiet.

"I remember they put a gun in my hand and said, 'kill him.' Just like that. Just... kill him," Natasha whispered the last bit.

"It wasn't your fault," Penny said. She knew the Black Widow had killed many people, but she never connected that person to the woman sitting next to her. It always seemed like someone else's life or something out of a horror story.

"I could have said no. But I didn't. The man was dead with one shot. Even back then, I didn't want people to suffer." Natasha paused, searching for words. "I've done a lot in my life that I'm not proud of; I've got a lot of red in my ledger. There's a lot I've had to come to terms with. But something I don't think I'll ever come to terms with... is the fact I didn't fight harder when they brought me to that room. I was just told what to do and how to think. But, I had options," she admitted. "I chose the options that wouldn't get me killed. For a while, it was worth it."

"How do you deal with it? The guilt?"

Natasha looked down at Penny and considered her answer. "I guess I just try to be better. Make the right choices when I can and try to atone for all the blood I've spilled." Natasha wrapped an arm around Penny's shoulders. "But mostly, I make my own decisions and I don't let anyone put me in a position where I don't hold power. I make myself... unassailable." 

"I don't know how to do that anymore. I thought I had it handled, but it all kind of came crashing down on me," Penny said, wiping away tears that gathered in her eyes. 

"It helps to be with people you love and remember that to get better, you need to get up and work for it. You're not hurting him at all if you lay in bed and waste away, but you are hurting yourself and everyone who cares about you. No one can fix you, mainly because you don't need to be fixed, but also, it's not in their power. You hold the power, no one else."

"I just...I'm so tired."

"I know, маленький паук. No one expects you to be 100% okay right now. If anyone does, they can come talk to me."

Penny let out a rough chuckle. 

"Now, are you ready to start fighting back?"

Penny nodded.

"Good. Now go take a shower and put on some clean clothes. When you're done, come get something to eat. Just take it a moment at a time, and you'll start to feel better soon. Promise."

Penny thought the woman was going to leave, but was surprised when Natasha leaned down and pressed a small kiss to her forehead. It was something that calmed Penny down, but she was embarrassed to mention it to anyone. Somehow, the fact that Nat knew didn't come as big of a shock as it probably should have. The woman had a remarkable ability to reach into the heart of someone's consciousness and pull out whatever she needed, to know who they were at their core. It was something Penny admired about Nat.

"Thank you," Penny said, her tone soft with appreciation. 

"You're welcome. I'm always here if you need me. Us spiders need to stick together."

For a few moments, after Nat left, Penny lay in her bed, thinking about what Natasha said. The woman was right. Penny lying in bed wasn't hurting Skip. Her not eating didn't hurt him at all. The only way to even start to gain freedom from the twisting in her stomach was to crawl out of bed. 

So, she did.

~

The peace was tenuous at best in the Stark household. They tried not to, but everyone was overly sensitive to Penny when they were around her. Always asking if she needed anything and telling her she could choose the food or the movie. They were trying, and Penny appreciated it, even if it was a constant reminder that she was broken.

Mr. Stark insisted that Penny and May stay at the Tower for a while longer, at least until the media frenzy died down a bit. While Penny was grateful, it was just another reminder that he didn't think she could take care of herself. Really, she knew that there was no evidence to the contrary when it came to the situation, but it still stung that she wasn't trusted. 

Penny was lazily draped over her most recent project in the lab. She was trying to figure out how to make her webs more durable after too many people were able to slash through them with a knife she missed. The compound wasn't doing what she wanted it to, and that frustrated her to no end. 

"Hey kid, did you hear me?" Mr. Stark's voice cut through her thoughts. 

Penny turned to look at her mentor, he was staring at her in slight irritation, and she realized he was waiting for her to reply. "Sorry, Mr. Stark. I was just concentrating, I guess. What did you say?"

"I asked you what your thoughts were on patrolling. You haven't been out in a while."

Penny bit her bottom lip. She knew she was failing the people of New York, but Penny couldn't get past the anxiety and guilt that flooded her veins when she put on the suit. There was something about the trial that brought up her fears about not being good or strong enough for Spider-Girl.

"I just don't think I'm ready," she decided to say. 

Mr. Stark sighed deeply and got up from his work station. He scratched at his goatee before taking a seat next to her. "I know this probably isn't going to mean shit, but you're not weak, Penny Parker."

"What? I-I never said-"

"I know you didn't. But I can see it all over your face. Hell, I can practically hear you berating yourself."

Penny looked at her hands in her lap. He was right, but that didn't mean she wanted him to know that. 

Mr. Stark placed a careful, hesitant hand under her chin and lifted it until she looked at him. "Spider-Girl is so important to a lot of people. The strength that Spider-Girl has is nothing without the strength of Penny Parker."

"But I'm not strong, Mr. Stark," Penny admitted softly.

"You are walking and talking proof that just because bad shit happens to you, it doesn't mean you should just give up. You lived with all of this before the trial, and you were still a badass then. There's no reason for you not to still be the same badass you always were. And I'm not just talking about Spider-Girl."

There was something cosmic in the statement. Something that dug into Penny's soul and sparked a need to live up to all the things Mr. Stark was saying. Penny knew that Mr. Stark thought highly of her, but there was always a small voice telling her that it was just about Spider-Girl and nothing else. Time and time again, Mr. Stark had proved her wrong, but there was always that small hint of doubt. Doubt that was washed away by the man's proclamations. 

"I love you, Mr. Stark," Penny whispered. She leaned forward and pressed her head into his chest, her arms flung around him. 

"I love you too, kid," Mr. Stark said as he held her in his arms. "Now, what do you say, you and I go out and help the little people?"

"You don't have to," Penny insisted. 

"I want to. I know that even through all your fear and doubts, there's still a part of you that needs to be Spider-Girl. What do you say? Care to show me how small-time crime works?"

Penny smiled hesitantly, "sure."

~

Penny let out a shout when she felt herself dive into a freefall from the top of the Tower. She loved the feeling of weightlessness that came with launching herself off the high structure and the moment of tension right before she let loose her webs. The feeling of triumph and exhilaration filled her lungs when she felt the web pull taut before she flung herself forward. The lights of the city pierced through the darkness in a way that soothed her nerves. It was oddly freeing, the way she felt the air rip past her, knowing that her mentor was following her lead. 

"Hey Spiderling, could you try not to give me a complete heart attack?" Mr. Stark said through her comms. 

"What do you mean, Mr. Stark? This is awesome," Penny replied.

"I know, just, can you catch yourself a bit sooner? You're making me nervous."

"I'm not gonna fall, Mr. Stark. I do this all the time." 

"You know, that doesn't make me feel better," Mr. Stark grumbled. 

Penny let out a chuckle before asking Karen to scan the area. "Karen says there's a mugging happening. Want me to take care of it?"

"I'll be there, but this is your territory, kid. Think of it as an 'I'll jump in if I have to' type deal."

Penny knew he was there to make sure she didn't get hurt and to watch out for her in general, but it made her heart soar that he was trusting her with this. So, she followed the direction that Karen pointed her in and listened to the sound of struggling coming from an alley a few yards away. 

"Stop moving. Give me the wallet, and we can call this a day," a gruff voice snapped. 

Penny landed on the top of a nearby building and looked down at the scene. There was a man in a dark jacket with the hood pulled up, holding a gun on another man that looked like he was going to pass out. Penny sucked in a breath. She hated guns and how quickly they could turn a situation deadly. Knives were a little better because they at least had to be within range to do damage, but she didn't love those either. 

Deciding not to let this go on for much longer, Penny jumped down from the building and landed behind the man with the gun. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

The man holding the gun whipped around, but before he could get a shot off, Penny flung a web into his hand and ripped the weapon out of his grasp. She threw a punch in his direction, sending him crashing into the wall, where she secured him with webs. 

"Karen, let the cops know where he is."

"Already done, Penny," Karen replied. 

Penny turned to the man that was pressed against the wall, holding his arms out in front of himself. "Are you hurt, sir?"

The man paled a bit at Penny's question, then muttered, "uh, no. I don't think so."

"Cool! Don't worry about this guy, he's gonna stick here. But you should probably wait for the cops and tell them what happened."

The man nodded dumbly. Penny knew that he just went through a traumatizing event and didn't hold his lack of conversation against him. It was a strange thing to be held at gunpoint while the expectation for the night was going home to go to sleep. With a nod in his direction, Penny launched herself up to the roof and was met with a proud looking Tony Stark. 

"You did good, kid. Though, I'm not so sure about you running headfirst towards a gun."

"I had it handled. Did you see how fast I got it away from that tool, though?" Penny asked breathlessly. 

A small smirk found its way on Mr. Stark's lips. "I did. Sometimes I forget that you go out here by yourself every night with no backup."

Penny shrugged. "It's hard to remember when you don't see me all the time. Watching on the Baby Monitor is different than being here."

Mr. Stark chucked. "Yep, it's far less of a chance I'll have a heart attack."

"Karen, anything else for us?" Penny asked, wanting to prove herself to her mentor even more. She was hoping he would help her with some of the calls, but it was enough that he was there with her. 

"Two incidents are happening within a six-block area. One is occurring to your East three blocks away, and one is to the West five blocks away."

"Alright, we have two things going on. One East and one West. Which do you want?" Penny asked Mr. Stark. 

The man leveled her with a look that said 'that wasn't our deal'. 

"Mr. Stark. I can't do both, and you said you wanted to help, and this would be helping out big time. If I need you, I'll call. Promise. But I won't need to," Penny pleaded. She knew that both of the crimes needed to be handled, but she was only one person. Which was perfect for Mr. Stark being there. 

Mr. Stark huffed a breath. "I'm gonna regret this. I'll take the one to the West. Keep your comms on so I can hear everything, and you better call me if there's any trouble at all. I mean anything."

"Promise, Mr. Stark!" Penny yelled as she sprinted to the edge of the building. As she flung herself into the night, she heard Mr. Stark call to her to be careful. 

Penny arrived at the scene within minutes, and she landed a bit away to see what was going on. What she saw left her heart hammering in her chest, and her breath flew out of her lungs. Why hadn't she insisted that Mr. Stark take this one?

A woman was wearing a burgundy dress that flattered her complexion, standing in the alley next to a tall man. He was dressed up in slacks and a button-down shirt. Penny thought they looked like they were on a date or something, but what made her stop was his hand clasped around her throat. She listened in to make sure the woman was actually in trouble and not just into something different. Her blood curdled at the voice that she heard. 

"If you want to stay with me, you'll do this. I don't want any of this 'I'm not ready' bullshit."

It was in that moment that Penny was sure the universe was hell-bent on making her life as terrible as it could. The chances of him being there were astronomical, and for her to be the one to find him was something that had to be crafted by a cruel capricious God. 

The girl sounded defeated when she spoke. "I thought you said I was different. You promised-"

"I said you were different, and I meant it." The man brushed the back of his knuckles along the girl's cheek in a way that should have been soothing. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm a man and I have needs."

When the girl was still hesitant, the man leaned in close to her ear. "You saw what happened at the court case. It didn't matter that there were pictures, I still got away with it. What makes you think you have any power over me, sweetheart?"

Penny's body felt cold. She knew that she should stop whatever was going on, but she couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. Oh, God. She couldn't breathe. 

"You said you didn't do it," the girl said, horrified. She looked at the man with an incredulous look on her face and began to pull away. When the man didn't let go of her, she pulled against him. "Get the hell off me, Skip. We're done."

"Oh no, Olivia. We're done when I say we're done," Skip said, his hands holding Olivia in place. 

Penny felt a flood of hatred flow through her veins, and she remembered what Natasha told her. She had the power over herself. Not her past, and certainly not Skip. The terror in her body started to dissipate, and she didn't hesitate to snap herself out of her terror and jump down to the alley. 

"I'm pretty sure the lady asked you to go away. You should listen," Penny snapped at Skip. 

Part of her didn't want to believe that it was him. He just got off from being accused of this, and here he was trying to manipulate someone else. Some people never learned, but Penny had hoped he would for everyone's sake. 

Then he turned around. "This doesn't concern you, Spider Freak. Go away and let me talk to my girlfriend."

"I don't think so. There's no way I'm letting you do anything to her, you psycho."

Something flashed in his eyes that made Penny's stomach drop. Abruptly, he dropped his hands from the girl, his prey left forgotten as he found a new target. "I didn't do anything to her, so there's not much you can do here."

"Get out of here, Olivia. You won't have to worry about him bothering you anymore," Penny told the shaking girl with as calm a voice as she could. 

Olivia slid past Skip, the man not even acknowledging her movements. "Thank you," she rasped to Penny before running to the crowded street. 

"So, what now? Are you gonna turn me in for talking to my girlfriend in public? Am I not allowed to do that either?" Skip asked. His voice had an edge of glee that made Penny stare at him. 

"Right now, you're going to wait here for the police to come get you. I have evidence that you threatened Olivia and a confession about what you did."

Skip clicked his tongue in a disapproving manner. "Now. That wouldn't be in your best interest, so I'd think about it before you get the cops here," he warned. 

"Why would I do that?" On her HUD, she saw Karen contacting the police while she kept Skip there. 

"Because I'll tell everyone who's behind the mask. Did you think I wouldn't recognize your voice, Penny?" Skip asked, a wicked smile plastered to his face. 

"Who?" Penny asked, trying to deflect. There was no way he knew it was her.

"Do you know how many times I listened to your testimony? Every time I replayed it, all I could think about was the night we shared. How good you felt. How you struggled."

"Shut up," Penny snapped. 

"You ruined my life, you bitch. I was thrown out of my school because they didn’t like the bad publicity. Do you know how many restrictions are put on people on the registry? It’s ridiculous. Now, I'm going to tell everyone that you're the one in the hero outfit if you don't do what I say. Before you say no, think about how many people would want to get their hands on you and your aunt. It was May, right?"

Penny stared at him in horror. There were two reasons she wore a mask. Penny didn't want the people she fought to see that she was scared, but the main reason was to protect those she loved. If people knew who she was, there was no way she could keep Aunt May safe. Her identity being leaked was one of Penny's greatest fears. And here Skip was, threatening to make that fear a reality. 

Penny heard Natasha's words float through her head.  _ I don't let anyone put me in a position where I don't hold power. _

Penny steeled herself and shot a web at Skip, effectively gluing his mouth shut. Then she shot another one, and he was plastered to the wall behind him, unable to move. 

"Yeah. That's not gonna happen." Penny walked closer to Skip and looked him in the eye, showing him that she wasn't scared of him. "There's nothing more you can do to me. You don't have the power anymore."

Then, she turned away from him, hearing his grunts of protest. The action itself was small, but it was oddly freeing. It let her chest unclench, and her hands stop shaking. It felt like some of the guilt and shame ebbed its way out of her, and she let out a relieved laugh. She knew there was a real possibility that he could still talk later, but she also knew Mr. Stark would know what to do.

Before she got too far, the sound of Mr. Stark's repulsors caught her attention. Penny let out a breath and waited for her mentor to show up. There was a big chance Mr. Stark was going to freak out on her, and she was trying to come up with reasons that he didn't need to. There would probably be something said about her not calling him or handling it herself. At that moment, she didn't care. 

Mr. Stark flew over the building and landed in front of her. He evaluated the area before his helmet retracted, revealing his worried eyes. "You okay, Kid?"

"Yeah," Penny breathed. "Did you hear?"

Mr. Stark nodded. "I did. Don't worry, I'm gonna take care of it."

"Mr. Stark, he knows who I am," Penny said, her anxiety returning at the severity of the situation. 

"I know. He won't say anything. I've got SHIELD on it instead of the local police. He's gonna rot in a high-security prison where the only person he'll be able to talk to are some pissed off agents."

Penny nodded. There was no one else she would trust with helping her more than Mr. Stark, well, besides May. She knew he had connections and would stop at nothing to make sure she was safe. 

"But first," Mr. Stark said, letting his suit retract from his body, "I want to have a small conversation with him."

Before Penny could process the man's words, he was walking towards Skip with quick, sure steps. Standing in front of Skip, Mr. Stark merely stared at the man that was secured to the wall. Then, without a word, Mr. Stark's hand scrunched into a fist, and he let it fly towards Skip's face. The crunch that filled the alley was loud and sickening, but Mr. Stark didn't stop. He let three more punches fly at the man's torso. The one that made Penny's jaw drop in shock was the one that collided with Skip's groin. 

Mr. Stark sniffed and then said calmly, "I feel better." He turned to Penny and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, turning her away from the scene. He said softly, "you ready to head home?"

Penny tried to glance behind her at Skip, but Mr. Stark continued to lead her out of the alley. 

"Thank you," Penny said. She knew Mr. Stark didn't like to use unnecessary violence on people, but there was something in the action that Penny couldn't fault him for. 

"You did the heavy lifting, kid. I don't think I've ever been more proud of you," he said, pulling her closer to his side. 

Penny let her head drop on his shoulder, not caring that she was in the suit, and people could easily look down the mouth of the alley and see them. She felt the quick kiss he pressed to her head and relished the content feeling that spread through her. 

"Wait until I tell Natasha that you kicked his ass. I think she's gonna buy you an ice cream or something for that," Mr. Stark said. 

"Well, if it wasn't for her talk this morning, I don't know how that would have gone," Penny admitted. 

Mr. Stark looked down at her and smirked. "Oh, I'm sure it would have still happened. After all, I don't recruit just anyone to be an Avenger."

Penny smiled to herself as she lifted into the air with her webs. She knew everything wasn't going to go back to normal. After all, maybe Penny didn't want them to. She finally stood up for herself, Skip was never going to hurt anyone again, and she felt freer than she ever had before. Swinging back to the Tower with Mr. Stark flying beside her, Penny knew that whatever happened in the future, she could handle it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, please know that you are not alone. It is never too late to tell someone and there will always be someone who is there for you. Be safe!


End file.
